Change of attitude needed for safer roads in South Africa

Dec 16, 2016

Drunk driving, speeding, and a lack of law enforcers, are among the biggest safety concerns for drivers on South African roads over the festive period, according to a new survey carried out by the Automobile Association (AA) in South Africa.

The survey also found that only eight per cent of drivers feel safe when travelling on South African roads during the festive period.

The poll, carried out in early December, found 62 per cent of drivers saw drunk driving as the biggest problem on the country’s roads. Apart from speeding and a lack of law enforcers, the survey found that motorists believe unlicensed drivers also pose a major problem.

“The results are indicative of what we have been saying for a long time: that the attitude of South African drivers is simply not good enough. Drunk driving, speeding or driving without proper licenses are behaviours that can be changed but aren’t. Unless more is done to prevent these types of conduct, they will continue unabated,” the AA noted.

Sixty per cent of those polled believed their safety was reliant on the attitude of other road users.

“Another worrying element we found was that motorists say that they drive an average of three hours before stopping to take a break. We would encourage all drivers to change this by stopping every two hours or 200 kilometres to refresh and relax. Being tired behind the wheel is extremely dangerous and stopping regularly ensures that you maintain focus for the whole journey,” said the AA.

“Our country has a high road fatality rate over festive periods. To begin dealing effectively with this, motorists must obey the rules of the road, drive responsibly and respect other road users. We urge all motorists to apply these principles for a safer, happier festive period on our roads in 2016.”